Sweet Potato Cauliflower Curry

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 small onion, diced
1/2 large leek, white and green parts, sliced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp curry powder
1 Tbsp garam masala
2-3 large sweet potatoes, diced into about 1/2" cubes
1 large head of cauliflower, divided into bite size pieces
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 c. vegetable broth
2 Tbsp. powdered coconut milk mix
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, saute the onions, leeks, and garlic in olive oil til soft. (If you don't have leeks, substitute regular onion, it's just something I had on hand that needed to be used up.)

Add all the spices, cook another minute, then stir in your sweet potatoes to get them good and coated.

Add the veg broth, lower the heat to a simmer, cover your pot and cook for 5 mins.

Next add your tomatoes, chickpeas, and cauliflower and continue cooking until the cauliflower is soft enough to your liking. I like mine with a little bite to it, so I cook it for 15 more mins. It doesn't need to be covered by the liquid, it's going to steam.

Add the coconut milk mix at the end. If you can't find that, you can use unsweetened coconut milk. It might make your curry a little soupier unless you cook it without the lid for a while. Let it sit off the heat with the lid on for about 30 mins just so all the flavors can get really absorbed.

This would be a great time to make some basmati rice to go with your curry. Naan is also an excellent addition. ^_^

Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes

I couldn't find a recipe for these that I liked, so I just modified the Golden Vanilla Cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World. I will probably continue to play with this recipe since I'd rather have it be more strawberry-y.

I took 12 frozen strawberries, put them in a saucepan with 1/2 c. soy milk and 1/4 c. raw sugar and cooked it til the sugar dissolved and the strawberries were unfrozen. Let it cool down a bit, then puree it in a blender. Measure out 1 c. of it and save the rest to throw into the frosting or you could use it in a smoothie or just use less liquid I suppose. Either way, the cupcakes need 1 c. of liquid, not more than that. If you end up with less than that, just add more soymilk to the finished puree.

To the puree, add 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar and set it aside to curdle a bit. I know that doesn't sound appetizing, but it is a necessary part of the recipe, and the finished cupcake tastes and smells nothing like vinegar. Also, if it doesn't curdle (b/c mine didn't) don't worry about it, it should still be fine.

In a small bowl, sift together:

1 1/4 c. all purpose flour
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

In larger bowl, beat together until fluffy, but not longer than 2 minutes:

1/2 c. vegan margarine
3/4 c. granulated sugar (I used 1/2 c. raw sugar and 1/4 c. granulated sugar, I dunno why)

Then add to that, 2 tsp. vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp. almond extract
This is another part I will be playing with in the future.. if I can find strawberry extract, I think that will make it more strawberry-y, so if you have it, add 1 tsp of that and 1 tsp of vanilla.

Then alternate beating the flour mixture and the strawberry puree mixture into the butter mixture. Fill your cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 20 mins at 350 degrees or until golden on top. Wait a few mins then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

For super strawberry-ness, cut a hole out of the top and fill with strawberry preserves. I used a kind that is made with only strawberries and fruit juices. You want something that tastes like all strawberry and not like a mouthful of sugar.

Then top it off with strawberry frosting, I just bought some from the store that didn't have milk or egg products in it. They do exist, so check that out.